As the stately figure slowly walked onto the stage, the capacity crowd at Zellerbach Hall jumped to its feet in applause. When the thunder finally died, Gregory Peck, '39, said simply, "I'm so happy to be back home."

Peck was on campus Feb. 11 to present his one-man show "A Conversation with Gregory Peck." He shared film clips, Hollywood anecdotes, and memories of his days at Berkeley.

"It was a very special experience for me and three of the greatest years of my life," said Peck. "It woke me up and made me a human being."

A member of the Cal crew team during some of its glory days, Peck attributed the success he achieved in his personal and professional life to the skills he had to master as a rower--rhythm, harmony, balance. He recently pledged $25,000 for a men's crew team endowment in honor of coach Ky Ebright.

Peck concluded his charming visit by taking questions from the audience, advising one young engineering student to head down to Los Angeles to help with the mass transit system.